Which case created the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule?

Which case created the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule?

• A. U.S. v. Leon
• B. Mapp v. Ohio
• C. Weeks v. U.S.
• D. California v. Greenwood

Answer: (A)

The key idea is the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule. Normally, evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is excluded at trial. But if the police act with objective good faith and reasonably rely on a search warrant that they believe to be valid, the evidence can still be admitted even if the warrant is later found defective. This principle was established by U.S. v. Leon, which holds that evidence seized under a warrant that appears valid can be admitted because suppressing it would undermine legitimate law enforcement efforts and reward police mistakes when those mistakes were not due to reckless disregard. Weeks v. U.S. first set up the exclusionary rule nationwide, and Mapp v. Ohio extended it to state courts, so they’re about establishing or applying the rule itself. California v. Greenwood dealt with a separate issue—whether trash left at the curb is protected by the Fourth Amendment—and is not about the exclusionary rule or its exceptions. So the case that created the good faith exception is U.S. v. Leon.

The key idea is the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule. Normally, evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment is excluded at trial. But if the police act with objective good faith and reasonably rely on a search warrant that they believe to be valid, the evidence can still be admitted even if the warrant is later found defective. This principle was established by U.S. v. Leon, which holds that evidence seized under a warrant that appears valid can be admitted because suppressing it would undermine legitimate law enforcement efforts and reward police mistakes when those mistakes were not due to reckless disregard.

Weeks v. U.S. first set up the exclusionary rule nationwide, and Mapp v. Ohio extended it to state courts, so they’re about establishing or applying the rule itself. California v. Greenwood dealt with a separate issue—whether trash left at the curb is protected by the Fourth Amendment—and is not about the exclusionary rule or its exceptions. So the case that created the good faith exception is U.S. v. Leon.